Heating means for coal tipples and the like



April 17, 1934. H. ADAMS 1,955,164

HEATING MEANS FOR COAL TIPPLES AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 21. 1929 INVENTOR Henry t/ftiamfi BY N N N W ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 17, 1934 UNITED STATES FATENT FFI'CE THE LIKE

Henry Adams, Plainfield, N. J assignor to Adams Coal Machinery Company, Plainfield, N. J., a corporation of Connecticut Application February 21, 1929, fierial No. 341,652

19 Claims.

This invention relates to methods and apparatusfor transferring or lowering coal, coke and other fiowable solid material, and more particularly to means for transferring coal from cars to trucks or barges, though it is noted that the invention is not limited in any way to cars, trucks or barges nor in some respects even to the transfer of coal.

While the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment herein shown, the inventive features for the accomplishment of the objects stated below are shown herein in connection with an improved heated car-tipple loader which, briefly stated, includes an inclined and pointed triangular chute having its upper edge pivotally disposed along the lower edge of a car tipped over by a car tipple means; though the invention is not at all limited to this kind of chute.

This chute is provided with converging partitions on its floor pointing toward the lower end to retard the material to prevent degradation and to provide open passages for the material to the discharge end where the material enters a vertically adjustable vertical chute lowered into a barge or the like.

A baflie plate extends across and above the upper edge of the chute to near the upper edge of the car when tipped for guiding the material into the triangular chute.

In practice, when the car comes to the loader in freezing weather, there may be therein large aggregations of coal, ice, snow or the like which may be even as large as the interior of the car itself, which would prevent the material from leaving the car, or if the aggregates be small, which would prevent their passing under the baffie plate.

One object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this kind with heating means such as a steam spray means for directing steam into the car and against the material for melting out the caked up material.

Another object of the invention is to provide means, such as the baffle plate, in an apparatus or device of this kind for confining the steam in the car for increasing its effect.

Even where the frozen lumps are small enough to pass under the baffle plate, they may become lodged in one or more of said passages.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an apparatus or device of this kind, means for selectively directing steam to any one of said passages.

Other objects of the invention are to improve generally the simplicity and efficiency of such devices and methods and to provide a device or I apparatus of this kind which is economical, du- Table and reliable in operation, and economical to manufacture.

Still other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described and claimed, the invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed in the broader claims.

To the above ends I provide the various means which may be briefly described as follows:

A rotary main flexibly connected to a steam supply pipe is disposed above and along the upper edge of the triangular chute and feeds valved branch spray pipes pivotally disposable over and along said passages for spraying steam downwardly onto the material in th passages.

Another spray pipe flexibly communicating with said supply pipe is secured tothe inner face of said baille for spraying steam on the material in the car.

Other jet pipes flexibly'secured to said steam supply pipe are disposed along the sides of the side walls and partitions; and hotwater pipes are secured against these jet pipes for preventing the freezing of condensation water in the jet pipes.

In the accompanying drawing showing, by way of example, one of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View, partly in elevation, showing the apparatus associated with a car and barge, the section being taken transverse to the car and barge and longitudinal to the path of the material;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus, parts being removed; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3'3 of Fig. 1.

My improved heating means is shown associated with a material lowering apparatus herein shownby way of example, in combination with a car-tipple means 10 for a car 11 on a rail road track 12 on a trestle 13. Y

Uprights 15 on the trestle, at the side of the track, carry a horizontal tubular shaft 16 at the upper edge of one side of the car, on which shaft is pivoted the car tipple means 10 engaging under the car and adapted to tip the car over on said upper edge as an axis, as shown by the dotted lines, for emptying therefrom the coal or other material.

A downwardly and forwardly inclined and pointed triangular chute 18 has an inclined floor 19 having its upper edge disposed along and pivinclined chute.

. tically adjustable floating chute 38 having a lower oted on said shaft 16, the chute being provided with converging side walls 20 (Fig. 2) co-operating at the lower corner with the floor to form a discharge end 21 (Fig. 1) covered by a short cover plate 22 mounted on the side walls over the discharge end portion of the chute.

One of a pair of pulleys 24 over the chute receives a hoisting cable 25 secured to the lower edge of the chute and disposed over the pulley, whereby the chute may be pivotaly lowered or raised.

A plurality of converging partitions 27 are secured on said inclined floor all pointing toward the lower end of the chute and extending from the upper edge of the chute to near the lower end; and converging plates 28 between said partitions extend from about halfway of the chute to near but short of the lower ends of the partitions.

Said plates and partitions and the floor 19 co operate to provide downwardly inclined and tapering passages 29 for the material. These passages thus have converging side walls and are open at the top except at said short cover plate 22.

A baffle plate 30 mounted across the upper edge of the chute and having its upper edge extending substantially even with the upper edge of the car when in tipped position, has its lower edge substantially in the plane of the upper edges of the side walls and partitions of the chute, and serves to guide the material from the car into the chute.

A support 32 fixedly secured to the lower end of said chute 18 is provided with an extension housing 33 at the forward end, and with a large open ing 34 adjacent to the inclined chute.

An axially vertical guide box 35 loosely disposed in said opening and hinged to the fioor of the inclined chute has a passage opening 36 therein receiving material from the discharge end of the Said box receives an upright verdischarge opening, and an open side 39 in communication with said passage opening 36.

Pulleys '40, 41 placed on said support and inclined chute at the front and rear of the upright chute respectively, receive a pair of flexible means 42, 43 having one end connected to the lower part of the guide box and upright chute respectively, the upper end portions being separately connected to a hoisting motor 44 carried in said extension housing, whereby said chute may be easily lowered into or gradually raised from a suitable receptable such as a boat 45, truck, bin car or the like to be loaded or left in any position of a vertical adjustment or swung forwardly or rearwardly.

Curved slide gates 46 disposed across said lower opening have side arms pivoted, coaxially with the curve of the gate, to the side walls of the upright chute.

A vertical series of downwardly and inwardly inclined retaining plates 48 are secured between the side walls of the chute, the series extending nearly from top to bottom of the chute, and being spaced from the outer wall 49 to form a vertical passage at said outer wall for the material. Said retaining plates extend to said open side, whereby the retaining plate next below the lower edge of said passage opening 36 receives material therefrom and directs it into the vertical passage, thereby to fill the passage and then pile up the material in the inclined chute to prevent the flow of coal except as controlled by the gates 46 and the material piling beneath the vertical chute as the latter, initially at the bottom of the barge, is gradually raised.

The lower inner edge 50 of each plate is disposed below the level of the top edge of the next lower plate, a distance depending upon the particular material, to prevent the material from flowing to the open side thereby providing a voidv at said side.

The upright chute when empty, may be raised to bring its lower end near the opening 36 to permit the lower part to be filled without dropping the material, after which the upright chute is lowered as it fills up.

The gates 46 are opened after the chute is lowered to the bottom of the receptacle, whereupon the material is deposited upon the floor of the barge, the chute being gradually raised only as the barge fills and the body of material in the chute rests on the material in the car.

The lower part 53 of the inner wall of the guide box extends downwardly more than the vertical distance between adjacent retaining plates 48, and serves to deflect into the chute any material which may fall from the uppermost active retaining plate as the chute is raised or lowered.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a heating means for thawing out frozen material in the car and in the tapering passages. This means includes a boiler 55, a steam supply pipe 56 therefrom connected to and communicating with the interior of the tubular shaft near one end thereof as shown at the left of Fig. 2.

Said shaft is closed at the extremity of both ends and is closed between the steam pipe 56 and the other end portion to provide a steam space and a hot water space.

A short pivoted pipe 60 (Fig. 1) having pivotal communication with the outer end of said steam space feeds a rotary steam main 61 comprising a short portion 62 connected to said short pivoted pipe and a long portion disposed, near, parallel to and exterior to said bafile plate, just above the upper part of the inclined chute.

A swivel connection 63 is interposed in said long portion near the short portion whereby said long portion has rotary connection with the short portion; and a pair of supporting bearing brackets 64 are mounted on the upper end portion of the upper edge of the side walls 20 of the inclined chute and rotatively support the main.

Branch pipes 65 are connected to the main pipe and are disposable over and along the middle part of the inclined passages 29 and have downwardly disposed jet orifices 66 (Fig. 1) for directing jets of steam 67 into said passages.

Valves 68 interposed in the inlet ends of the respective branch pipes 65 individually control the rows of jets, for selectively confining the jets to any desired passage or passages.

Flexible means 69 are connected to the free end of one or more of said branch pipes and pass over one of the pulleys 24, whereby the pipes may be raised to the position of the dotted lines of Fig. 1 to permit easy access to the passages 29.

There is also a spray pipe '75 turned at 76 (Fig. 1) to communicate with said short pipe and secured by brackets to the lower margin of the inner face of said baflie and provided with jet orifices for projecting steam jets 79 directly upon the material in the car and for confinement therein by the baffle 30.

A non-rotary steam main 80 (Fig. 1) connected to said short pipe 60 is disposed across the upper part of the upper end of said passages remote from the floor, to leave passage space therebetween for the material.

Jet pipes 81 secured by brackets 82 (Fig. 3) along the sides of the side walls and partitions, extending to near the lower ends thereof, closed at the lower ends and connecting with said main are provided with lateral jet orifices for spraying jets 83 of steam into material in said passages 29.

A partition in said tubular shaft divides said water space into inlet and outlet duets, with which communicate respectively supply and re turn mains 86, 8'7 secured across said passages 29 near the non-rotary main, and which feed hot-water pipes 90, 91 secured against, above and below said jet pipes and communicating with said inlet and outlet mains 86, 8'7 respectively and connected by a return elbow 92 at the lower end.

A hot-water coil 95 in said boiler for heating water is connected in circuit with hot-water supply and return pipes 96, 97 communicates with said ducts respectively, whereby hot water from the coil may circulate through said ducts and hot water pipes to warm said steam pipes to prevent water of condensation from freezing after the jet pipes have been used.

The operation is as follows:

The car 11 of coal or other material is tipped over, and the baifie plate 30 guides 'the coal into the chute 18 with an even flow. In the chute 18 the partitions 27 and plates 28 will cause the coal from the car to be divided into separate streams, thus further retarding all portions of the coal. From Fig. 1, it will be noted that the depth of coal is greatest at the lower edge of the baffle plate and gradually diminishes or remains about the same depth in the lower part of the inclined chute.

Because of the convergence of the walls, partitions and plates 28, the travel of the coal is much retarded and is not of excessive velocity; and the breakage, when the coal reaches the upright chute 38 is greatly reduced. As the chute 38 can always be kept filled with coal by means of the gate 46, there will not be any breakage caused by coal falling from chute 18 to the bottom of the barge.

When initially filling the apparatus, the gate 46 may be closed and the chute raised until the bottom thereof is at the opening 36, to initially receive the coal without any fall. As the chute 38 fills up, it may be correspondingly lowered to keep the level of coal therein even with the opening 36. This prevents initial breakage.

When in freezing weather, the coal in the car becomes caked with ice or snow, the caked aggregates may be too large or too adhered to the car to leave the tipped over car. In this case the steam jets 79 are discharged into the car and the steam may be retained therein by the baflie plate 30. This soon thaws out the coal until the cakes are small enough to pass under the baffle plate.

However, it may be that some cakes become lodged in one or more of the passages 29, in which case the valves are opened in one or more of pipes 65 and 81, thus directing jets of steam into the clogged passages to thaw out the material there- If for any reason it is desired to remove material from the passages 29, or if for any reason unimpeded access is desired to these passages, all of the pipes 65 may be raised out of the way to position of the dotted lines of Fig. 1, or higher.

I claim as my invention: 1. An apparatus for lowering flowable material, comprising a triangular chute pointed at its discharge end; partitions therein dividing the chute into open passages pointing toward said end; a steam supply pipe; a rotary main connected to said pipe and disposed above and across the upper end of the chute; and branch spray pipes connected to the main disposable over :and along said passages.

2. An apparatus for lowering flowable material, comprising a pivoted chute; and steam generation and supply means including a steam spray pipe pivoted to the chute and normally disposed along said chute in position to spray therein.

3. An apparatus for lowering flowable material, comprising a pivoted chute having side walls; a supply pipe; and heating pipes flexibly communicating with said supply pipe and disposed along the chute.

4. In combination, a horizontal tubular shaft provided with a steam space; a chute having its upper edge disposed along and pivoted on said shaft; a steam supply pipe communicating with said steam space; a short pipe having pivotal communication with said steam space; and jet pipes communicating with said short pipe and disposed along the chute.

5. In combination, a horizontal tubular shaft forming a steam supply pipe; a car tipple means pivoted on said shaft and adapted to engage under, and tip over a car; an inclined and pointed triangular chute having its upper edge disposed along and pivoted. on said shaft, the chute having converging side walls co-operating to form a discharge end; hoisting means whereby the chute may be pivotally raised; converging partitions on said floor, and extendng from near the upper edge of the chute to near the lower end; said partitions and walls co-operating to provide passages for the material; a baffle plate across the upper edge of the chute spaced from the floor, and extending substantially even with the upper edge of the car when tipped; and spray pipes disposed along said baffle plate and passages and flexibly communicating with said supply pipe.

6. An apparatus for lowering fiowable material, comprising, a chute having side walls; a steam supply pipe; jet pipes communicating with said supply pipe and disposed along the inner faces of the side walls; heating pipes secured against said jet pipes and connected together at their lower end; and hot-water supply and return pipes connected to said heating pipes respectively.

7. In combination, a horizontal tubular shaft provided with a steam space, and hot water inlet and outlet ducts; a chute having its upper edge disposed along and pivoted on said shaft; a steam supply pipe communicating with said steam space; a short pipe having pivotal communication with said steam space; jet pipes communicating with said short pipe and secured along the chute and provided with jet orifices; hot-water pipes secured adjacent to said jet pipes and communicating with said inlet and outlet ducts respectively and connected together at their outer ends; and hot-water supply and return pipes connected to said ducts respectively.

8. In combination, a horizontal tubular shaft closed at both ends and provided with a steam space; a chute having its upper edge disposed i said short pipe and pivotally disposed above and along said chute; a baffle plate across and above the upper edge of the chute; a spray pipe communicating with said short pipe and secured to the face of said baffle toward the car; and jet pipes connected to said short pipe and disposed along the interior of the chute.

9. An apparatus for lowering fiowable material, comprising. an inclined and downwardly pointed triangular chute having its upper edge disposable along the lower edge of a tipped over car; converging partitions on the floor of the chute, pointing toward the lower end, said chute being upwardly open from the upper edge to the discharge end, said partitions and the chute walls providing passages open above; and an upright baflle plate across and above the upper edge of the chute.

10. A method of lowering flowable lumpy material frozen together to form large masses, said method comprising conducting the material in a wide downwardly slanting stream open above to expose the masses to view; and selectively discharging heating medium downwardly into said masses at different points where formed.

' 11. A method of lowering flowable lumpy material frozen together to form large masses, said method comprising conducting the material in a shallow stream open above to expose the masses to view; selectively discharging heating medium downwardly into said masses at different points where formed; and simultaneously selectively withholding said medium at other points where no frozen mass passes.

12. In combination, a car for coal or like material; means for directing steam against the material in the car; normally stationary means for restraining the flow of the steam from the car; and means for conducting the car to and from said stationary means.

13. In combination a car for coal or like material; normally stationary means for directing steam against the material in the car; stationary means for restraining the flow of the steam from the. car; and means for conducting the car to and from said two means.

14. In combination; a car tipple means for discharging material from a car; and a spray means, mounted separate from the car, positioned to discharge heating medium into a car while tipped by the tipple means; and means to restrain the flow of the heating medium from the car.

15. An apparatus for lowering fiowable material comprising a car tipple; a chute extended along the edge of the tipped up car; and a spray pipe secured along the upper margin of the car just above the upper edge of the chute.

16. An apparatus for lowering fiowable material comprising a car tipple adapted to tip up a car thereon; a chute extended along the edge of the tipped up car; a baffie along the upper margin of the car just above the upper edge of the chute; and a spray pipe secured to the active face of the baffle.

17. In combination, a chute; a jet pipe disposed along the interior of the chute, and additional means for conveying'heating medium for heating the jet pipe.

18. In combination a chute; a jet pipe disposed along the interior of the chute, and a hot water pipe adjacent and parallel to the jet pipe.

19. A method of facilitating lowering flowable material having at times frozen lumps therein, said method comprising conducting the material in a downwardly slanting stream elongated in direction of its path and upwardly exposed to view; discharging steam jets upon the top face of and into the streams substantially from end to end thereof, when said lumps appear; and withholding said jets when the lumps do not appear.

HENRY ADAMS. 

